Instructions With Pictures



“But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

James 2:18



Its not enough to know what you believe, you have to believe in what you know. There once was a high wire walker who set out to cross Niagara Falls. As the crowd gathered he asked the question if they believed he could do it and they all yelled “yes”. He did and returned to a standing ovation. Then he took a wheelbarrow and placed it on the wire in front of him and asked the crowd, “do you think I can push this wheelbarrow across and back?” The crowd again yelled out, “yes!” And he proceeded to do so. Then for his final act he began by asking the question, “Do you think I could push this wheelbarrow across on the wire with someone from the audience in it?” The crowd let out a scream, “YES” and then he asked for a show of hands for any volunteers. The crowd was silent, not a one.

If you read the book of James you will quickly learn, “It’s not enough to know what you believe. What’s more important is that you believe what you know.” What I mean by that is what James meant. The word believe means to “act upon, to rely upon and to trust in”. The Bible isn’t a book of information, its a book of knowledge and wisdom, commandments given to be followed, instructions on how to think and live. Every letter is true and can be trusted, actually they must be trusted in order for them to fulfill God’s purposes in our lives.

Reading the Bible and not obeying the Bible is like trying to put together a complex toy or item you purchased or received as a gift without first reading the instructions. The more parts you have left over after assembling the object does not mean you are smarter than the manufacturer, it does mean however that any warranty is now null and void.  

James goes on to say that, “Faith without works is dead” because true faith, saving faith is demonstrated by our “acting upon, relying upon and trusting in” God and His word. James says the demons in hell “believe” but the word believe there means “to know”. The demons of hell know first hand that God is who He claims to be. These fallen angels didn’t act upon or rely upon or trust in what they knew to be true even though they were there in heaven around the very throne of God but as Jude 6 declares, “And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.”

The good news of the gospel is Jesus has proven to us that His word is true for everything he said he would do he did and what he did was only that which he said he would do. Thats what we call “walking the walk and talking the talk.” Don’t just read your bible for information, read it to follow its direction. Thank God our instruction manual wasn’t just in words, our Bible came complete with pictures as Jesus lived and walked among us to show us the way and not just tell us. Follow him.

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”

Colossians 1:15

I LOVE YOU!

Michael Osthimer

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